Graduate School Information
Thinking of furthering your education for either a Masters or Ph.D? The psychology program at KPU allows you to complete an honours degree. The honours program gives you a competitive edge over applicants without an honours degree when applying for graduate programs. Getting experience in a research lab can help immensely too, as they provide you knowledge and skills in writing REBs, grant applications, manuscripts, conducting data analysis, and much more! Additionally, most graduate programs require you to write the GRE (graduate record examination), do you know how to prepare for it?
Here are some tips for graduate school!
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Research experience and an honours degree helps, although not required.
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Network often as academic references from professor or relevant employers (such as from practicum) are needed
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Plan ahead & know the application deadlines for your programs of interest
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Write the GRE a year prior to applying.
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Contact the faculty member you are interested in working with before you submit your application.
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Have a minimum B+ average, many programs are competitive and an A average requirement is not unusual.
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It helps to have external funding from grants, these require research experience.
Honours Program
The honours program allows students to develop and conduct their own research study under the supervision of a Psychology faculty member. Find out more about the details and prerequisites from the KPU website.
Graduate Record Exam
The GRE is an extensive test that examines various different areas. The general GRE test includes verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. The subject GRE includes 6 areas that forms the foundation of psychology knowledge. These include biological, cognitive, social, developmental, clinical, and methods/measures of psychology.
CV & References
Like any applications, graduate school requires a CV and letters of reference. A CV is a lengthier version of a resume that includes all your academic achievements, awards, and areas of excellence. Having well-written and impactful letter of references are also critical. Ideally, you would want academic references, or professionals from the area of your interest. Make sure to attend our CV and/or Resume Workshops for more details!
Grants & Scholarships
Who doesn't like free money? Knowing how to write a detailed and proper grant and/or scholarship application can help reduce the financial burden in paying for a graduate degree (the same applies for an undergraduate degree). With extra money in your bank, paying for additional education shouldn't be something to be feared.
How to Write Tri-Council Scholarship Applications
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Grant (SSHRC)